Abbas Condemns Murders of Soldiers

Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority (PA) reacted for the first time, Monday evening, to the weekend murders of two Israeli soldiers, according to Kol Yisrael government radio.

Abbas was quoted as telling representatives of the Jewish community in New York that he condemned the killing and all other acts of violence against civilians. At the same time, he added that he expected Israel to condemn the last deaths of four Arab youths from Israeli gunfire in recent weeks, apparently referring to an incident in the western Samarian (Shomron) PA town of Kalkilye.